


Breaking Apart

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Daddy Dom Gabriel and Little Sam [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Gabriel, Big Brother Dean, Brother Feels, Emotionally Hurt Sam, Fighting, Fluff, Hurt Dean, Hurt Sam, Kidnapping, Little Sam, M/M, Missy is a helpful pup, Protective Castiel, Protective Gabriel, Torture, Uncle Cassie, daddy gabe, no one hurts their little boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 16:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7445422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All it takes is one moment, one fight, and everything comes crashing down around him. Sometimes Sam wonders if he's destined to have good things come to him, only to have to watch things around him fall apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As of right now, this story is going to be a few chapters, and I plan on alternating POV between Dean and Gabriel. I hope you guys enjoy this. :D At least, as much as it can be enjoyed at first ;) (sorry-not-sorry)

There was something damn strange going on with Sam. No matter what his little brother might think, Dean wasn't an idiot and he wasn't blind. He could see that something was going on. Something had changed with him. The kid was keeping secrets again. Dean knew the signs well enough to recognize when his brother was keeping something from him. Didn't Sam learn his lesson the last time around? Hadn't he realized what keeping secrets did? They always came out in the end and they always spelled trouble for them. Usually big trouble.

The worst part of it was, Dean could tell that this secret involved Gabriel in some way. How, Dean wasn't quite sure yet, but he was positive that Gabriel was at the center of whatever this secret was and it pissed Dean off. What did they have to keep from him? He already knew the two were dating. They weren't exactly shy about it. Whenever Gabriel was around the two were always touching in some way or another. They didn't kiss or make out a lot, for which Dean was grateful, but they were always up in each other's space. Always cuddling and holding hands. That alone had taken Dean some time to get used to. He'd tried, though, because it obviously made Sammy happy and there hadn't been a lot that made the kid happy in a long time.

Whatever this secret was, though, it couldn't be good. They were never good. And Dean was bound and determined to figure out what it was before it blew up in their faces just like it always did.

That was why he was grateful when something came up in Heaven that pulled the two angels away for a while. Dean wasn't all that happy about Castiel being gone for who knew how long – but he was happy about the idea that Gabriel might not be around. It would give him a chance to pin Sam down and try to talk to him.

He figured a case was the perfect way to get him and Sam relaxed around one another and maybe get his brother to open up to him without having to pry everything out of him. So Dean found them what looked to be a pretty clear cut vamp case and they set out for it right away.

Unfortunately, he was quickly learning that Gabriel being gone didn't mean that he wasn't still there.

They'd just settled into the motel and were trying to figure out how to track the vamps down when Dean noticed that Sam kept texting someone. "Who're you talking to over there?" He couldn’t help but ask.

Sam didn't look up from his phone as he tapped out a quick response. "Gabe."

It took everything Dean had not to scowl. Seriously? It hadn't been that long ago since they'd seen one another! Besides, Gabriel was up in Heaven doing angel business. "Since when does Heaven have cell phone towers?

The look that earned him was a mix between the bitchface that Dean was familiar with as well as a raised-eyebrow look that told him Sam was spending _way_ too much time with the trickster. "Dude, he's an archangel. I highly doubt there's anywhere he could go that he wouldn't have service if he wanted." Then, before Dean could get the chance to think of any reply to that, Sam was setting his phone down and pulling his laptop forward. "All right, so, it looks there are a few places that might be good for the vamps to bunk down in..."

Just like that, the topic of Gabriel was closed and the two were back on their case.

* * *

That wasn't the last time that Dean saw Sam texting his archangel. Honestly, it bothered Dean to see just how much the two of them were texting. Couldn't they manage to be apart even for a little bit? Sure, Dean could get that they missed one another. Whatever. But it hadn't even been that long since they'd seen one another! What the hell did they have to talk about _that much_? Besides, this was supposed to be a chance for Sam and Dean to spend some time together, to hang out and work with just the two of them. As much as Dean was coming to tolerate having Gabriel around – he wasn't quite willign to admit to actually liking Gabriel's company – he wanted some time with his brother, just the two of them. Was that really so much to ask?

Dean couldn’t help the little snide remarks that he kept making each time he saw that Sam was texting again, or the way that he'd roll his eyes. But for the most part the two of them kept it together.

It wasn't until the vamps were dead and they were back at the motel, cleaning up and hopefully heading out for the post-hunt drink that Dean had planned, that things finally came to a head.

Dean was fresh out of the shower and ready to nag his brother into going out for a drink with him when he found Sam laying on the bed once again freaking _texting_. The sight of that stupid phone was enough to crank up Dean's already short temper. "Dude, are we gonna have to take you in to the hospital to have that phone surgically removed?"

"Lay off, Dean." Sam said absently, his eyes still on the phone. He finished typing out his message and only then flashed a look up at his brother. "I was just letting Gabe know we were done with our case, that's all."

"With as much as you've been texting him about this thing, I'm surprised he's not here. He might as well have been."

That seemed to finally be enough for Sam. This time when he looked at Dean, he actually _looked_ at him, and there was temper flashing in his eyes. "What is your problem? You've been bitching about me and Gabe talking this whole time and I'm sick of it."

Well, fine, if that was how he wanted to play it. Dean tossed down the towel he'd used to dry his hair and turned himself to fully face his brother. No more dancing around this, then. They were going to go ahead and hash this out. That was fine by him. Maybe they could get it taken care of and then he could actually get his brother back for a little while. "You've barely put down that phone the entire hunt, man. Every time I look over you've got that stupid thing in your hands."

"So?" Sam sat up a little straighter on the bed and, as if to argue Dean's point, he let his phone drop to the bed.

Temper flashed through Dean, hot and bright. "So? You've got your head so far up his ass, you barely had time to keep it in this case. I'm not looking to get killed cause you're too busy playing around with your boyfriend to pay attention to the case we're working.”

“We were just texting!” Sam spat out. He looked almost as pissed off as Dean was now, and in a better frame of mind Dean might’ve backed off here, left it alone, because he knew his brother well and he knew just how truly pissed Sam was. He knew what could happen when the kid got pissed.

But Dean was too caught up in his own temper and ended up saying a lot more than he should’ve. Story of his life, really. “Yeah, right. Texting almost nonstop. Dude, if I’d known this was how you two were gonna end up, I never would’ve given my permission for this shit.”

He knew even as he said it that he’d made a huge mistake. He’d meant it sarcastically, not like he’d actually given Sam permission or that Sam even _needed_ it. But Sam’s eyes flashed hot and his whole body locked down in that way that said that he was moving beyond pissed and into dangerous territory. Only, even as Dean braced himself for the volcano that could be a pissed off Sammy, he got the surprise of his life. The kid didn’t say a word. He opened his mouth like he was going to, only to snap it shut again with an audible click. Then he stood up and walked right past Dean, right towards the front door.

“Sam?”

The kid completely ignored Dean. He walked right to the door, grabbing his coat – but thankfully, leaving his bags – and in the next second Dean was wincing as the door was slammed shut behind his brother.

It left Dean standing there staring, wondering _What the hell just happened?_

* * *

He didn’t start to really worry about his brother until almost an hour had gone by. Not long after Sam left, Dean had pretty much decided that the kid just needed to cool off, and it was really the better option for them both. Instead of engaging him like they usually did and shouting until they both said things they’d regret, Sam had gone to cool off. He’d done it once or twice with John when they were young. He’d never done it to _Dean_ , though. Not like that.

Whatever. Let the kid have his fit and then he could come back and they might actually be able to freaking _talk_.

Then a half hour went by. One hour. Two.

That was about the time that Dean would’ve called him to find out what was going on or where he was. Only, he’d been clued in pretty quickly that Sam had left his phone behind. The thing buzzed every so often with a message. There’d been a brief moment where Dean had debated opening Sam’s phone and checking the messages, just to screw with the kid. It was the idea of the potential mental scarring that held him back. He wouldn’t put it past Gabriel to message something dirty quite often. There was no way Dean wanted to read any of that.

Even as he worried, Dean tried to convince himself not to. Maybe Sam had just gone down to the bar to get himself a drink and get as far away from Dean as he could. If he’d been planning on straight up _leaving_ , he would’ve grabbed his bags, probably prayed to Gabriel to come and get him. The fact that he’d just stormed out was a sign he just wanted away for a little while. He’d probably found a bar and had a few too many. That was all.

He wasn’t quite sure he believed himself.

It was when three hours had passed that he finally couldn’t keep back his worry. Sam knew better than to vanish for three hours. He wouldn’t just be gone this long. Even mad at Dean, he wouldn’t stay gone this long. Especially not without his phone. Considering that another text had come in ten minutes ago – and Dean had broken down enough to at least check and see and find out they were all from Gabriel – he knew that the archangel wasn’t with his brother. So where was Sam?

Dean’s worry outweighed his temper _and_ his pride. There was nothing more important than his brother – no matter whether they were fighting or not.

“Castiel, Gabriel, get your feathery asses on down here.” Dean prayed with his usual irreverence, worry laced through every word. “Sam stormed out in a bitch fit almost three hours ago and he’s not back yet.”

There was nothing to warn him that the angels had arrived. One second he was looking down at the ground, trying to give some semblance of actual prayer in the hopes it’d make damn sure his message got through, and the next second he heard a furious snarl right before Gabriel demanded “Sam’s been missing for _three hours_ and you’re _just now calling me_?”

Dean snapped his head up to find both angels standing there in front of him. Castiel looked openly worried, an expression that he once wouldn’t have even known to make. He’d become so damn human in the time that he’d known the Winchesters.

Beside him, however, Gabriel looked decidedly _inhuman_ , lit up with a visible rage that Dean wasn’t sure was pagan or archangel, or a unique mixture of the two. His face was hard and his eyes were hard, his gaze cutting straight through Dean.

“We had an argument and he stormed out.” Dean explained. His own worry and his guilt over that argument, as well as what that argument had originally been about, had him glaring right back at Gabriel. “I figured he was just going to cool off. Take a walk, get a drink, whatever. But he’s not back yet.”

Castiel cut in before any sort of argument could really get going. “Arguing may come at a later time. For now, we must focus on finding Samuel. Gabriel, can you sense him at all?”

There was a moment of quiet as Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to do just that.

The frustrated look on his face was enough to answer that question even before he opened his eyes and growled out “No. Whatever has him, he’s blocked.”

None of them questioned that something had Sam. It was the only thing that made any sense. _Something_ had to have taken him. He wouldn’t have been gone this long and he definitely wouldn’t have tried to ward himself against Gabriel. Not with as attached at the hip as those two were. But if Gabriel couldn’t sense him… “How the hell are we gonna find him?” Dean asked.

“The old fashioned way.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and Dean was startled as Missy appeared in the room. The dog hadn’t been riding with them because of their case – Sam hadn’t wanted her hunting vampires with them, not sure how she’d react to them or their blood – and so as far as Dean knew she’d been sent to whatever house it was that Gabriel took Sam to all the time. But she was here now, staring up at Gabriel with a look that seemed way too intelligent for a simple dog. As if to prove that point, Gabriel squatted down until he could put himself at eye level with her and then he started to talk to her. “Someone took Sam. I can’t find him, so I need your help. Go check his bed, get his scent, and follow the trail.”

The dog actually freaking barked at him like she was agreeing, which was the freakiest damn thing Dean had ever seen, and then she ran right over to the bed and snuffed at it a few times before spinning and making her way towards the door. Gabriel didn’t even bother looking at Dean or paying him any real attention at all. He just followed after Missy, with Castiel right after him. Dean had to scramble to grab some weapons and hurry out after the two. He was going with them and they were going to get his brother back – no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn’t take long for Missy to follow Sam’s trail down the road from the motel. Whatever she stopped at, the angels must’ve been able to sense something because they went completely still. Dean was forced to stand there like an idiot and wait for one of them to remember him enough to tell him what was going on. He wasn’t all surprised that Castiel was the one to do it.

“Sam was attacked.” The seraph said, looking around him in a way that suggested he was seeing something Dean couldn’t. “Demons. Quite a few of them. They subdued him and took him away from here.”

God _damn_ it. Thinking of Sammy being taken was bad enough – that it was demons that did it was even worse. This wasn’t their first run in with the black-eyed bitches since the apocalypse had ended and none of them had been all that happy with Sam for ruining their plans. Thoughts of what they might be doing to his baby brother was enough to make Dean feel like he was going to be sick. “Tell me you can follow it somehow.” There was a note of pleading in his voice that only ever came out when it came to Sam. For him, Dean didn’t have any shame. He’d do whatever he had to, beg whoever he had to, just to get him back.

When Gabriel brought his eyes back towards Dean, the hunter actually stepped backwards. The air around them seemed to get heavier and the hairs on Dean’s arms were standing up. This, he knew, was _power_. He’d thought that he’d seen it before, in Castiel when he was angry, in Raphael that time they trapped him in holy oil, even on Gabriel when they’d trapped _him_ in holy oil. Nothing he’d seen compared to this, though. In that moment Dean was acutely aware that the vessel housing Gabriel was _just_ a vessel. A vessel full of one of Heaven’s mightiest weapons as well as a pagan god who had lore suggested was the most capricious and dangerous amongst them. As little as the gods had liked him, they’d left an impression that none of them wanted to truly piss him off. Dean could see why.

“We’re going to find him.” Gabriel’s voice seemed to resonate in the air and in the very earth around them. “And when we do, I’m going to kill whoever was stupid enough to take what’s _mine_.”

In that moment, Dean was reminded of a conversation he’d had with his brother after the apocalypse. Sam had told him that the most terrifying thing about the Cage that he remembered, the thing that scared him about angels the most, was the ferocity of their love. “They’re made from God’s love, Dean.” Sam had said, sounding both scared and awed at the same time. “And that’s… that’s dangerous. We’ve seen how humans can screw up in the name of love. It can be amazing or it can be terrifying. To be made of _God’s_ love, the force that created the very universe? You can’t even begin to comprehend how terrifying it can be. Michael and Lucifer, they loved one another more than anything else – and it almost destroyed the world.”

Dean stared at the furious archangel in front of him and he thought to himself that he finally understood Sam’s words. Because Gabriel’s love was immense, more than Dean had known him capable of, really, and it was awe-inspiring at the same time as being utterly terrifying. For love of Sam, there was no doubt in Dean’s mind that Gabriel would rip apart the earth itself to get him back.

* * *

Whatever the angels did to track down the demons’ trail was beyond human comprehension. Dean had no idea what it was they did or how they did it. Not even Castiel was all that chatty. He was focused on helping with an intensity that honestly surprised Dean. He knew that Castiel and Sam were friends; they’d come a long way since they’d first met. But he hadn’t really figured them as more than just passing friends. Yet Castiel looked like he perfectly mirrored Dean’s driving need to find his brother.

It only took a few minutes and then Gabriel was transporting them all from where they were to some strange field without even snapping his fingers.

The casual display of power stole Dean’s breath. Castiel had to touch them to fly, at least as far as Dean had always been able to tell, and while he flew the Winchesters with ease, there was always a sense of focus to it that Dean had once joked left him feeling worried that one day Cas wasn’t going to focus hard enough and he might leave part of them behind.

Gabriel flew them without touching or even looking at them.

The field they landed in was empty. Dean looked around, expecting to see his brother, only to see grass and trees and nothing else. “Where are we?”

“Canada.” Castiel answered him. He was looking off into the distance, in the same direction that Gabriel was. Whatever they saw must’ve been beyond human vision because Dean couldn’t see a damn thing.

A low curse came from Gabriel. His hands clenched at his sides and the air felt almost electric, like just before a giant thunderstorm. Then Gabriel lifted a hand and pointed. “He’s that way, through the trees. There’s an abandoned barn up there that they’ve got him in. I can feel him, but just barely. They’ve got the whole damn place warded so Cas and I can’t get in.”

“They were expecting us.” Castiel said.

“Yeah, well, I doubt they were expecting _me_.” Gabriel snarled out. A blade like nothing Dean had ever seen before appeared in Gabriel’s hands. It looked like an actual freaking _sword_ and glowed in a way that left Dean dizzy, seeming to somehow impossibly be both dark and light.

As Gabriel marched forward, Castiel looked after him in awe.

“What is that?” Dean asked, even as he took off after the pissed off being in front of them.

Castiel fell in step beside him, his own blade already in hand. “That is an archangel’s sword. It has not been seen since Gabriel was sent to destroy the nephil.”

Those words left Dean a bit speechless. The freaking _sword_ that had been used to slaughter the _nephil_ , and Gabriel had it out now to kill some demons that he could easily take out by simply smiting them. Oh yeah, he had a feeling these idiots were going to seriously regret ever touching Sam Winchester. And if there was anything left of them when Gabriel got done, well, Dean had learned torture from the best, and this was a cause he was more than willing to apply those skills towards.

The barn came into view in no time at all. As soon as the trees broke, Dean could see it. Just as he could see the two demons standing guard outside.

Gabriel didn’t bother hiding their approach. He marched right up with that glowing sword in hand and dove straight into battle with a sort of – ha! – grace that the hunter never would’ve pictured him having. In no time, the two demons were on the ground.

Lifting his free hand when he got close, Gabriel did something that Dean swore he could _feel_ , power blasting out of his hand and sending the doors to the barn smashing wide open on either side.

After that, Dean didn’t have a chance to pay attention to how the angels fought. He was too busy wielding his own blade and trying to kill the demons that came pouring out. There had to be at least twenty of them and Dean wanted to throw up at the idea that that many demons had been holding his brother. What the hell had they done to him? What could they have been doing that needed that many of them for one simple human?

He didn’t have time to think about it; not if he wanted to stay alive. Dean fought hard, Castiel right at his side and the glowing form of Gabriel’s blade leading the way. There wasn’t even a chance for Dean to try and look around for his brother. He was caught up in the fight, blade flashing this way and that, the sounds of shouting and snarling filling the air, drowned out only by the sounds of dying screams.

For as many as there were, it seemed like the battle took only the blink of an eye. One moment Dean was fighting and the next he looked up to see that the last demon had fallen to the ground. There were no more here. No more were coming for them.

His eyes passed over Castiel at his side, uninjured, and then traveled until they found the one thing in the world he wanted, _needed_ , to see.

_Sam_.

As soon as he found him, he thought for sure he was going to lose the precarious hold he’d had over his queasy stomach.

Sam was strapped down to a plank that was set up in the middle of the bar and there wasn’t an inch on him that didn’t look bruised or bloody. Even as Dean shot forward, Gabriel was already there, his sword gone. He was standing right in front of Sam, hands cupping his face, and as Dean got close he could hear the archangel’s steady stream of words, all uttered in a tone that was gentle and full of so much love it made Dean’s heart give a hard throb.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, baby, I’m here now. I’ve got you.” Gabriel was telling him. He kept one hand on Sam’s cheek and was reaching out with his other one to grab the bindings that were around Sam’s wrists. There was some kind of chain wrapped around Sam’s wrists and the posts, keeping his arms up above his head. “I’ll get you down, I swear it, baby. Just give me a minute and I’ll get you down from there.”

Castiel grabbed Dean’s arm right as he got close, stopping him just inches away from Sam. When Dean spun to glare at him, the angel didn’t even blink. “You cannot touch him yet. We must let Gabriel work.”

“Cas…!”

“Look!” Castiel hissed sharply, gesturing with one hand towards Sam. It took a moment for Dean to see what Castiel was pointing at. Just barely could he make out shapes through the blood on Sam’s skin. When he realized what he was seeing, his heart dropped down into his stomach. There were sigils carved into Sam’s arms and over his chest, down to his stomach. Castiel’s voice was gentle when he spoke again. “They were attempting a ritual that appears to have been for the purpose of releasing Lucifer once more. Though the demons are dead, the power is still there. We must trust Gabriel to dispel it before we may approach. We do not want to inadvertently trigger anything.”

It was one of the hardest things that Dean had ever done to stand back and watch as Gabriel slowly unhooked Sammy from the chains and then gently bore his weight down to the ground. Though he wanted nothing more than to rush forward, he kept himself still, body vibrating with the need to go over there, to help.

He watched as Gabriel carefully brought Sam down to the ground with him. The archangel sat down, heedless of the blood and filth that he sat in, and he cradled Sam in his lap and his arms like one would hold an infant. Gone was the terrifying being that he’d been before. Everything about him now radiated love and comfort. There was sorrow in his eyes but it didn’t show in his voice as he spoke to Sam, keeping up that steady sound and the reassurances that the kid probably couldn’t even hear right at the moment.

“All right, Sammy, just hang on. We gotta get these sigils off of you. It’s gonna hurt, but I promise I’ll make it better, okay? I swear I will.”

Gabriel’s hand came to rest on Sam’s chest, right over his heart. It held there for a second before it started to glow.

The sound that tore out of Sam was one that would haunt Dean’s dreams for a long time. The pain filled scream was low and hoarse, like he’d lost the ability to scream properly long ago. His body bowed up and his head was flung back, caught by Gabriel’s other hand. The scream went on and on, echoing around them, until it cut off abruptly and Sam dropped like a puppy whose strings had been cut. When Gabriel moved his no longer glowing hand, the sigils were gone.

Castiel let go of Dean’s arm and he took that as a sign that he was free to go forward. In a flash, Dean was kneeling right beside Sam and Gabriel, his eyes running over every inch of his little brother. “Oh, dammit, Sammy. What the hell did they do to you?” He brought a hand up and tried to smooth some of Sam’s hair back, only to find that his hand was shaking too much. He settled for putting it against Sam’s head and just soaking up the connection.

A low moan slid past Sam’s lips. He turned his blood soaked face in against Gabriel, who cuddled him in even closer, though he kept his head pressed against Dean’s hand like he didn’t want to break that connection. “ _Hurts_.” Sam whimpered, the sound so young and pained it brought to mind the times that Sam had woken up from a terrifying nightmare when he was just little. Then Dean was stunned completely by the next words out of Sam’s mouth. “Daddy, _hurts_.”

What stunned Dean even more was that _Gabriel_ responded. “I know it does, baby. I’m gonna get us outta here and then I’ll make it better. Just hang on a second longer.”

That was all the warning Dean had before the world changed around them once more. The barn gave way to a strange new room that Dean hadn’t ever seen before. Gabriel had flown them to a bedroom that had to be at one of his safe houses or something. It certainly wasn’t the motel.

He’d made himself and Sam appear right on the bed, with Dean right at the edge of it, hand still on Sam’s head. Castiel was right behind Dean, close enough that the hunter could feel the warmth of his body.

No sooner had they landed than something jumped up onto the bed. Dean watched Missy come rushing forward to press herself up against Sam’s legs and whine.

Again, there was no snap or anything to warn them. Just suddenly the blood and filth on Sam vanished like it’d never been there. Then Gabriel’s hand came up, brushing over Sam’s face like a gentle caress, and the bruises melted away as well, leaving a Sammy who looked whole and healthy. Gabriel’s hand moved up to smooth Sam’s hair back from his face and draw his head in even more. “Go to sleep, baby. Daddy’s got you. You’re safe and nothing’s going to get you here, I promise. You’re okay now.”

Dean could actually see it as Sam slumped down in Gabriel’s arms, like those words had given him the permission he needed to let go and just go to sleep.

As he saw his brother’s breathing evening out, Dean finally broke his eyes away from Sam’s face and lifted his gaze to lock onto the archangel that was holding on to him. One question sat at the forefront of Dean’s mind and he couldn’t stop it from spilling past his lips. “What the hell is going on here?”


	3. Chapter 3

This was the very last thing that Gabriel wanted to deal with right now. He grabbed a few glasses out of the cupboard and tried to take the moment away from the others to take a few unneeded deep breaths and attempt to calm himself down. Ever since the moment Gabriel had found out that Sam was missing, rage and terror both had been sitting inside of him, twisting their way through his grace. Now that he had Sam back here, safe and asleep, he wanted nothing more than to be in that bed with him curled around him – body, grace, and wings. He wanted to hold on to Sam and reassure himself and Sam both that his baby boy was safe and okay and _alive_.

Instead, he was out here in the kitchen of their home with their brothers, about to have a conversation he very much did _not_ want to have. Especially not without Sammy being here. Unfortunately, Sam being out here wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Between the trauma he’d gone through, the energy that had been sucked out of him by the ritual the demons had tried to perform, and the little bit of grace that Gabriel had given him, the kid was likely to be out for a few hours yet. Those were the only reasons that Gabriel could even contemplate leaving him alone right now. That, and the fact that they were in _their_ home, with Missy standing guard. Nothing and no one was going to get to Gabriel’s boy.

Gabriel hadn’t realized how tightly he was clenching the cup until the glass shattered in his hand.

The sound of it breaking echoed through the kitchen like a gunshot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dean jump, and he saw Castiel place a hand on the hunter’s shoulder, calming him.

A simple thought cleared up the mess on the ground and in his hand. Then Gabriel grabbed new glasses as well as the bottle of whiskey that he kept hidden in a grace-locked cupboard. Alcohol here was always locked up so that little Sam couldn’t get into it. If Sam wanted alcohol when he was in his big mindset, he never drank it here without Gabriel being the one to serve him.

He thunked the glasses down on the table and then opened up the bottle, generously filling each glass. “Drink up, boys. I aint having this conversation without a bit of alcohol.” He set the bottle down and picked up his own glass before going to drop down into the seat at the head of the table. Though he was still tense and furious – and scared, Dad-dammit, he could still feel the terror that had hit him the instant Dean had said his brother was _missing_ – but none of it showed on the outside. On the outside he had adopted the pose that he’d learned all those millennia ago. Loose-limbed, laid back, his body more draped over the chair than actually sitting in it, an insolent sprawl that had pissed off quite a few of the gods over the years. _Never let them see how afraid you are._ That was a lesson he’d learned well during his brothers’ fights and he’d never forgotten it.

“So?” Gabriel drawled out, taking a sip off his drink. “What’s on the agenda first? I wanna get this hashed out as quickly as possible before Sammy wakes up.”

He was surprised when Dean met his stare head on and said “Are those bastards that took my brother gone?”

Gabriel nodded. “Not even a wisp of smoke left. Even if they weren’t, nothing but Dad could get in here.”

Satisfaction flashed over Dean’s face and some of the tension in his body drained away. Not even two seconds later, it was back, though Gabriel knew it was for an entirely different reason this time. “Good. That shit can wait, then. I want an explanation for whatever the hell _that_ was.” He waved one hand vaguely in the direction of the bedrooms, as if they didn’t already know what he was talking about. “What the hell did those bastards do to my brother? Why was he calling you _Daddy_?”

That threw Gabriel for a second. In all the response that he’d been preparing himself for, he hadn’t expected Dean to take this route. Really, though, he should have. It would figure that Dean would automatically assume that something had _caused_ this rather than that it was what his brother wanted to do. Gabriel took a deep breath and tried to remind himself of the same thing he’d told himself over and over each time he caught Sam worrying about what Dean might think about this. No matter how natural this felt to Gabriel, how right it was, humans saw things like this as wrong. They saw it as perverted. It didn’t matter that nothing sexual _ever_ happened when Sam was little. Everything with humans always seemed to somehow end up revolving around sex.

“They didn’t make him do that.” Gabriel said. _I’m sorry, munchkin. I know you didn’t want him to know, but the cat’s outta the bag now._ “He does that all on his own.”

Any other time and it would’ve been hilarious to watch the way that Dean choked at that. “W-What? _What_?”

That incoherency wasn’t going to last long. Gabriel had studied the Winchester quite a bit over the years; he knew a hell of a lot about them. Sure, his interest had always been in Sam. However, knowing Sam meant knowing Dean. The two were so tied together you couldn’t understand one without gaining some understanding of the other. If Gabriel wanted his chance to explain, he needed to do it now, before Dean got his speech back. Otherwise there was a huge chance that the kid would start shouting and not hear a damn thing Gabriel had to say.

“Your brother and I have a DD/lb relationship, with a bit of age play thrown in.” Gabriel said bluntly. “That stands for Daddy Dom, little boy. Your brother is what’s called a Little.” Blunt was probably going to be the best way to get some of these facts across so they wouldn’t be misconstrued and Dean wouldn’t be able to pretend he didn’t understand them.

This time Gabriel couldn’t quite resist the chuckle as he watched Dean actually freeze in place and then start to splutter at him. “He’s…you’re… _what_?” Then his face transformed and he looked completely and utterly disgusted.

Gabriel knew what had caused that expression. He cut Dean off before he could even get going. “Nope! Before you even try and say it, the answer is no. This isn’t just some daddy kink where I tell him he’s a bad boy and he calls me Daddy.”

“Gross.” Dean shuddered in disgust. Then he looked up at Gabriel, eyes dark yet still clear. “What the hell is this, then?” Dean asked, trying and failing to sound calmer. “If this isn’t… why is he calling you Daddy? What the hell is this Daddy Dom shit?” He kept his voice lower, though it was obvious just how much he was itching to start shouting, to start demanding an explanation. Gabriel was convinced the only thing that kept him in any form of control was the hand that Castiel had on his shoulder. That wasn’t going to last much longer, though. Because Dean sure as hell wasn’t going to like the explanations Gabriel gave.

Gabriel shrugged one shoulder in a gesture that was a lot more casual than he felt. “Honestly, I’m not surprised you don’t know about it. I’m more surprised that Sam _did_.”

“It does seem to be a rather obscure practice among humans.” Castiel chimed in.

“I’ll tell you.” Gabriel said, lifting his glass and taking a drink without ever taking his eyes off Dean. He lowered his glass down and then arched an eyebrow. “Are you gonna listen to my answer, though? Cause I got a lot better things to do than sit here and explain something to someone who isn’t even going to bother listening to me.”

“Tell me.” Dean said simply.

So he did.

Gabriel explained his relationship with Sam in as basic and simple of terms as possible. There were some things he wasn’t going to give away – those weren’t his secrets to tell – and some things that were just too personal for him to feel at all comfortable sharing without talking to Sam first. This whole conversation was hard enough to have knowing just how upset it was going to make Sam once he found out. But Gabriel knew that this had to be done. After Dean had heard Sam calling him Daddy, plus what the next few days were undoubtedly going to be like, Dean needed to know. So Gabriel sat there and told him.

By the time he was done with his explanation, he could see just how stunned Dean was by everything.

The dining room was quiet for a few as Dean processed it all. Gabriel took advantage of the moment to reach out with his grace and run yet another check over Sam. The kid was still out, just like Gabriel had figured he would be. There was no reason he should wake up yet. Still – reaching out to him, brushing against that warm soul, it soothed some of the fear and pain that still sat inside of Gabriel.

After a long pause, during which Dean quickly finished off the rest of his drink, the hunter looked back up at Gabriel again. “That’s…” He paused, clearing his throat.

Hearing the unspoken words, Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be so quick to judge. You could use a little ‘Daddy’ time yourself, Winchester. Might do you and that attitude some good.”

“Bite me.” Dean shot back reflexively. He was too caught up in his thoughts to really focus on insulting Gabriel, though. “Is this… is this something that Lucifer caused?”

“No.” On that, Gabriel was firm. He wasn’t going to let Dean blame Lucifer for this, or even bring that idea up around Sam. That was all Gabriel needed was for Sam to start associating this part of himself with the fallen archangel and assuming that it was why he was like this. Gabriel had just barely started to get Sam to see that he wasn’t _wrong_. Just different. “It’s a part of who he is, Dean. I know you’ve seen it. Sam needs someone who can take care of him and tell him when he’s going too far and give him rules to hold him in place. He _craves_ it.”

A little of the temper that had been missing before now snapped into Dean’s eyes. “He sure as hell ran fast from Dad when he did it.”

Gabriel couldn’t stop the sneer that curled his lip up. “Your Dad didn’t parent you two – he abused you. There’s a huge difference.”

“Hey now…!”

“I’m not even going to argue it.” Gabriel said, cutting him off with both words and a sharp gesture of his hand. He couldn’t help the anger that boiled up in him at the mention of John Winchester. “I’ve seen it, sunshine. I’ve seen the scars he left behind not just on Sam’s body but on his _soul_. When Sam does something wrong and he flinches from me like I’m gonna sock him. How terrified he is that I’m gonna be disappointed in everything he does. It took me forever to get him comfortable enough to even let me know he wanted things because he was used to not asking for anything. Even asking me for a damn cup of juice is a big step for him. So don’t even _try_ arguing about him with me.” Gabriel snapped. He glared at Dean, trying hard to remember that the hunter wasn’t responsible for what John did. He had, in fact, helped quite a bit, keeping John’s attention on him, or giving Sam what he could when their Dad wasn’t around.

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabriel pushed down as much temper as he could. “John isn’t important. What’s important is that Sam ran from him because he was only getting half of what he needed from the man, and not even in a good way. I give him discipline without abusing him, but I also give him the other half, the half you tried to be able to give him. John raised you guys to not show emotions, to not touch, and that’s what Sammy needs almost more than he needs the rest. I give him structure, but I also give him somewhere to come cry, somewhere to panic. I hold him through whatever fears terrify him and tell him that it’s gonna be okay. When he has a nightmare, we cuddle up together and I tell him there’s no monster there and I remind him that he’s safe with me, that I’ll always protect him. I don’t just give him a damn .45.”

“Our Dad did the best he could in a shitty situation.” Dean was sitting up straighter now, the hand on his shoulder no longer keeping him calm. He squared his shoulders and glared. “Maybe it wasn’t always good, but it was the best he could do. And I always made damn sure Sam was taken care of. Don’t you _dare_ imply I didn’t!”

“You did. No one’s denying that. But you’re _not_ his father, Dean. You’re his brother.”

“Neither are you!” Dean shot back.

Setting his glass down, Gabriel leaned forward and glared right at Dean. “I am not going to argue this with you. No,” Gabriel said that last word firmly when he saw Dean about to speak. “Be quiet!” The tone of voice that Gabriel had was the one he used with the younger angels when they weren’t listening, or Sam when his baby boy was being building up towards a full scale tantrum. It was a done that let it be known he was done with the bullshit and wasn’t going to put up with any more. Castiel recognized that tone; he was suddenly standing at attention, his eyes fixed on Gabriel and his wings tucked neatly against his back – a calm seraph awaiting orders. Dean, meanwhile, looked pissed, but he stayed quiet.

Content that the Winchester wasn’t going to speak again, Gabriel continued on. “I didn’t tell you all of this so you could argue me out of it. I was willing to provide you with explanations so that you could understand, _not_ so you could judge us.  But I’m out of patience. It’s been a long day and right now I want nothing more to go down there and cuddle my boy and make sure that he knows he’s safe, not sit out here and argue with an obstinate Winchester who’s too damn stubborn to listen to reason. Newsflash, Dean.” Lifting his glass, Gabriel used it to point at Dean. “This isn’t about you. This isn’t about your Daddy issues or whatever else is going on in there. This is about _Sam_. What he wants and what he needs. Who gives a damn if it’s something you don’t like? You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to approve of it. But I’ll be damned if I let you make him feel bad about it. This is who we are. I love your brother more than anything else in existence and I’ll take care of him, no matter what.”

Gabriel was beyond done with this whole thing. He didn’t have the patience for this right now; he’d known that coming in. The whole damn conversation should’ve just waited until after he had Sam awake and cared for. Then they could’ve dealt with Dean together.

Sighing, Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, shoving it back from his face. “Take him back to the motel, Cassie. Go ahead and answer whatever questions he has – without compromising Sam’s privacy.”

“Now wait a damn minute!” Dean pushed his chair back, shooting up to his feet to glare down at Gabriel. “I’m not going anywhere!”

Temper flashed hot and bright in Gabriel. If this little _brat_ thought for one minute that he was going to stand there and intimidate _Gabriel_ , he had another thing coming.

The archangel pushed up to his feet and met Dean glare for glare. “Don’t push your luck with me, kiddo. This is _my_ home and I decides who stays or goes.” There was no way that Gabriel was going to let Dean stay right now. The older Winchester needed to vent, let out his feelings on all of this – not just the Daddy stuff, but the whole kidnapping as well – and Gabriel understood that. He did. In a better frame of mind he probably would’ve been a bit more patient. Maybe. But there was no way he was going to let Dean do all the venting he needed _here_. If Sam woke up and heard him, it would devastate him, and Gabriel wasn’t going to let that happen. This was Gabriel and Sam’s home. This was their safe place free from trouble or drama or judgment from anyone else. Gabriel wasn’t going to let that get ruined by one pissed off brother.

A small tug on his connection to Sam had Gabriel’s head shooting up.

Sam was waking up.

Without hesitating, the archangel snapped his fingers and sent Dean and Castiel back to the motel. He trusted his brother to make sure that Dean stayed there. Then, with them now gone, he pushed them firmly towards the back of his mind and flew himself straight down to the bed where Sam was just beginning to stir.

It warmed his heart a little how Sam started to settle the instant that Gabriel gathered him up. He pulled the little boy in directly against his chest and let Sam curl up there with an ear where his heartbeat should be. Sam melted down into the touch and his hands came up to cling to Gabriel’s shirt. Down by their feet, Missy let out a little grumble and shifted herself up to lay in the curl behind Sam’s legs, her favorite place to be. Her head came to rest on Sam’s leg and dark eyes lifted to look at Gabriel.

“He’ll be fine.” Gabriel murmured to the puppy. He smoothed a hand over the soft material of Sam’s pajama shirt and repeated the words to himself this time. _He’ll be fine. I’ll make damn sure of it._

There was a whole ton of shit waiting for them outside of their little home. A pissed off brother, this whole demon attack, the fact that there were demons out there trying to find a way to bring Lucifer back. All of that needed to be dealt with.

But not right now. Right now, Gabriel had his boy in his arms. His whole world was right here in bed with him. The rest of it could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next story will be up soon, I promise! And it'll pick up right where this one left off. "The Aftermath" will deal with Sam's recovery, what happened to him, Dean's reaction to things, and their plans for the future. Keep an eye out for it!


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